Canals 1995 - Sharpness

For the 1995 canal holiday we returned to Middlewich Boats and hired "Oak" and "Sycamore" for another fortnight. This time we went all the way down to Sharpness via the Staffs & Worcs, returning via The River Avon and Stratford. This trip was notable for Peter Baxter-Ludlow (PBL) bringing along a Belgian acquaintance he had met earlier that year in Nepal. This gentleman had taken Peter's farewell comment "If you are ever in England, do come and look me up." literally and turned up on his doorstep shortly before he (Peter) was leaving to join us in Evesham. Unfortunately the delights of Sparkbrook and Bilston proved too much for him to comprehend, and he was always referred to as "The Bemused Belgian".

Please click on any picture to enlarge.

	Watering at Stewpony, the first morning without rain for3 days 03 October 1995
	Watering at Stewpony 03 October 1995
	Oak passes while Sycamore takes water 03 October 1995
	A sunny day at last, on the Severn below Worcester 04 October 1995
	Passing Upton-on-Severn 04 October 1995
	Upper Lode Lock 04 October 1995
	Leaving U Lode Lock 04 October 1995
	Oak steams past 04 October 1995
	Oak steams down the Severn at full speed 04 October 1995
	Ruth waves as she passes 04 October 1995
	And a third boat overtakes us both � 04 October 1995
	Moored at Haw Bridge - the south wind was so strong that it was easier to moor head-to-wind rahter than heading against the current! 04 October 1995
	The wind holds the boats back against the flow 04 October 1995
	John Brand steers away from Haw Bridge 04 October 1995
	Moored in Gloucester Docks 04 October 1995
	MV Chaceley comes through with grain from Sharpness to Tewksbury. This traffic (the last commercial trade on the Severn) ceased soon after 05 October 1995
	Chaceley's wheelhouse 05 October 1995
	Chaceley passes Gloucester 05 October 1995
	Heading down the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal 05 October 1995
	Looking across to May Hill and the Forest of Dean 05 October 1995
	Waiting for a swing bridge 05 October 1995
	Purton Swing Bridge 05 October 1995
	The remains of the Severn Railway Bridge at Sharpness 05 October 1995
	Purton Swing Bridge and the "Berkley Hunt" 05 October 1995
	A trip boat pass through Purton Swing Bridge 05 October 1995
	Trip boat winds in the rain at Purton 05 October 1995
	Inside the "Berkley Hunt" 05 October 1995
	BW tug "Speedwell" with dumb barges approaches near Shepherd's Patch 05 October 1995
	A dumb barge towed by "Speedwell" 05 October 1995
	The barge train heads south into the sunshine 05 October 1995
	Lockkeeper's house on the G&S 05 October 1995
	Splatt Bridge 05 October 1995
	Frampton Church 05 October 1995
	John rests from cooking breakfast 06 October 1995
	Oak 06 October 1995
	Chaceley unloading at Tewksbury 06 October 1995
	Chaceley unloading at Tewksbury 06 October 1995
	Avon Lock at Tewksbury 06 October 1995
	Moored at Tewksbury 06 October 1995
	Moored at Evesham 07 October 1995
	Evesham 07 October 1995
	Evesham 07 October 1995
	Bidford Bridge 07 October 1995
	Bidford Bridge 07 October 1995
	Bidford Lock: Anthony removes the teasels from his dufflecoat, which he had gained whilst resting in a ditch on his way back from the pub the night before 08 October 1995
	Anthony removes teasels from his coat 08 October 1995
	Approaching Stratford 08 October 1995
	Gordon Grey Lock, Stratford 08 October 1995
	Entering Stratford 08 October 1995
	Colin P Witter Lock 08 October 1995
	Taking Water opposite Stratford Theatre 08 October 1995
	Stratford Theatre 08 October 1995
	Group Shot 08 October 1995
	Locking up into Bancroft Basin, watched by a cast of 1000's 08 October 1995
	Bancroft Basin 08 October 1995
	Bancroft Basin 08 October 1995
	Edstone Aqueduct 08 October 1995
	North Warwick line passing under Edstone Aqueduct 08 October 1995
	North Warwick line passing under Edstone Aqueduct 08 October 1995
	Near Lowsonford 09 October 1995
	Near Lowsonford 10 October 1995
	Lowsonford Lock 10 October 1995
	Kingswood Jn 10 October 1995
	Kingswood Jn 10 October 1995
	Entering the (then) new connection into the Grand Union canal 10 October 1995
	Taking Water at Farmer's Bridge 10 October 1995
	Sycamore on the New Main Line in Smethwick 10 October 1995
	Oak on the Engine Arm Aqueduct 10 October 1995
	Sycamore approaches the Engine Arm Aqueduct 10 October 1995
	Sycamore passes directly under Oak (!) 10 October 1995
	Oak on top of Sycamore 10 October 1995
	The photographers disperse, note the "Bemused Belgian" to the left of Ivor 10 October 1995